TAKING IT TO THE MAX!
HOW SKY BLUES STRIKER FORMED A SPECIAL BOND WITH SUPPORTERS
EVERY now and again Coventry City, like all football clubs, sign a player who makes his mark and captures the hearts of the fans, not just because of his football ability.
That has to come first, of course, but it’s the character and personality of the player that can forge a special bond with supporters and leave a lasting impression.
When Max Biamou signed for Coventry City in the summer of 2017 he was somewhat of an unknown quantity. Joining from non-league Sutton United, famous for dumping the Sky Blues out of the FA Cup two years after they’d lifted it at Wembley in 1987, the Frenchman was a bit of slow burner.
But he announced his arrival in spectacular style on a special day for the club, and has become a bit of a cult hero around these parts ever since.
Everyone loves a bit of “Oh Maxy Biamou...oh Maxy Biamou,,,” right?
Here we look at some of his best bits so far from his journey with the club he quickly grew to love.
Written in the stars
Biamou took time to get going after making the step up to full-time football with then League Two Coventry, taking half a season to score his first league goal which sparked Mark Robins’ men to a 3-1 Ricoh Arena win over Swindon Town, who were the best travelling side in the division in 2017/18.
But boy was the goal worth the wait! And what a fitting way for the Sky Blues to take the lead with a sensational Cyrille Regis-esque 25-yard strike into the top corner from the No.9 on a day when the club and fans paid their respects to the legendary powerhouse No.9 who’d passed away a few days earlier.
The fans sang ironically, ‘he scores when he wants,’ after Biamou had broken his long League Two duck in sensational style.
Little did we know that Max was a favourite in the making.
FA Cup follow-up
His season up and running, a week later the then 27-year-old sent City through to the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time in almost a decade at League One strugglers MK Dons. Backed by an incredible near 8,000-strong Sky Blue Army, Robins’ League Two fliers dumped the Dons out of the famous competition to book their place against Premier League Brighton.
Receiving the ball out wide on the right, Marc Mcnulty hit a hard and low cross to the near post where Biamou got a vital touch to send the ball in off the post to send the Sky Blue Army wild with celebration on a day when City’s 7,873 out numbered the home contingent who numbered 7,052 in a 14,925 crowd.
He doesn’t do tap-ins
A brilliant volley snatched a late point against League Two draw specialists Newport County as play-off chasing Sky Blues came from behind to secure a 1-1 scoreline and extend their unbeaten run to seven games after a difficult game at Rodney Parade. Biamou then bagged a brace, including a brilliant 30-yarder into the top corner as City suffered a 6-2 setback against Yeovil at the Ricoh Arena.
The first time
City took a huge step towards securing their place in the play-offs after taking the full three points in sensational style with six goals on their first trip to Cheltenham Town.
The Sky Blues got the job done early, taking a 4-0 lead into the break at Whaddon Road with two from Marc Mcnulty and a goal each for Tom Bayliss and Jordan Shipley.
A superb overhead kick from Biamou who, positioned on the edge of the six-yard box, flung himself at a Jack Grimmer cross took the scoreline to five before a brilliant strike from Mcnulty to complete his hattrick put City on 74 points with a game to go.
Securing legendary status at Notts County
Biamou lit the Sky Blue touchpaper with a fifth-minute overhead kick in the play-off semi-final second leg at Meadow Lane which has gone down as one of the most memorable City games in recent times.
Marc Mcnulty doubled the lead on 37 minutes in a pulsating game where City were brilliant to a man.
Although the Magpies pulled one back before the break, City got the job done midway through the second half when Biamou capitalised on their first corner, sent in by Liam Kelly to the head of the returning Jordan Willis – the centre-back knocking it down on the angle for the Frenchman to finish from close range with his back to goal.
Tom Bayliss added a fourth four minutes from time as they booked their place in the League Two playoff final at Wembley after another full-blooded encounter with their fierce East Midlands rivals.
Just five games in at Blackpool at the start of the 2018/19 League One campaign and disaster struck for the fans’ favourite who went down in agony, clutching his knee.
The worst fears were realised when
scans confirmed he’d ruptured his ACL, an injury that was to keep him out for the next 12 months.
Can’t keep a good man down
There was a time when it looked like it could be the beginning of the end for Biamou’s City career at the start of the 2019/20 campaign.
Well down the front line pecking order and not even getting on the bench, Max kept his head down and let his football do the talking in the Under23s where he scored several goals in consecutive games to force his way back into the manager’s plans.
Handed his first league start since his return from injury, the centre-forward popped up with a stunning scissor kick at Peterborough to give City an 85thminute lead at London Road where Mo
Eisa snatched a point at the death. He followed it up with a hat-trick in a 3-2 EFL trophy win over Saints Under-21s and was instrumental in the sensational 2-1 FA Cup win over Ipswich Town at Portman Road where he set up the first for Jordan Shipley and scored second to send City through to face Bristol Rovers, against whom he banged in a brace to set up a fourth round tie with landlords Birmingham City.
Special connection
As well as his ability and goals, a big reason why Max is adored by so many is his relationship with the fans.
“Without them I wouldn’t be the player I am,” he said, “and that’s why I try to thank them every time for their support and everything they do for me.”